The Hoax (2006) 8/10

Starring : Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, Julie Delpy, Hope Davis, Stanley Tucci, Eli Wallach
Director : Lasse Hallstrom
Running Time : 111 mins

It's 1971, and failed author Clifford Irving (Gere) needs a solution to his problems, both with money and with his publishers. That's when he latches on the idea of conning a famous publishing house into paying him a major advance to write the authorised biography of the reclusive entrepreneur Howard Hughes, even though he's never even met the man.

This comedy that puts Gere firmly in the limelight is actually pretty entertaining. Based on true events, this tells the story of how easy it is to make people believe that what you say is true, and how when you convince the wrong people that you're telling the truth it can put your life in danger.. Molina is wonderful as Irving's bumbling co-conspirator Dick Suskind, with Davis and Tucci playing it well as Irving's suspicious publishers.

You’ll like this if you liked : Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind

My Best Friend's Girl (2008) 8/10

Starring : Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs, Lizzy Caplan, Alec Baldwin
Director : Howard Deutch
Running Time : 97 mins

To make a bit of extra cash, Tank (Cook) hires himself out to guys as a rebound guy to their girlfriend's to show them just how terrible other guys can be in comparison to them, but when he offers his services to his best friend Dustin (Biggs) he finds himself attracted to Dustin's girlfriend Alexis (Hudson) and starts to see her behind his back.

This is a very silly movie that does come up with some interesting ideas. If women truly do compare their current boyfriend to their previous one, then Cook's plans could actually work in reality. However this goes to the extreme, and the ten things that Cook does to make himself look bad are so over the top they do become cringeworthy after a while.

You’ll like this if you liked : Good Luck Chuck

Classic Friday : A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) 9/10

Starring : Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley
Director : Wes Craven
Running Time : 92 mins

The folk who live on Elm Street start to get very concerned when a series of killings, targeted at the young teenagers in the area, start to escalate. What's more, they bear the uncanny mark of a serial killer who had operated in the area years earlier - but he's supposed to be dead, so is it the work of a copy cat, or is Fred Krueger (Englund) still alive and killing?

This is one of the best horror films of all time. Although it spawned one or two pretty bad sequels, especially part two, this remains an original and well thought through scary movie from the guy who went on to give us the Scream series. Freddy Kruger is an original villain who still has the power to frighten viewers to this day, and thankfully in the original his sense of humour never steered over into the ridiculous.

You’ll like this if you liked : Friday The 13th

Prom Night (2008) 6/10

Starring : Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Johnathon Schaech
Director : Nelson McCormick
Running Time : 90 mins

Years after her parents were murdered by her infatuated teacher Richard Fenton (Schaech), Donna (Snow) plans on attending her senior prom, but unfortunately for her this is the same night that Fenton escapes from prison and journeys to the hotel where the prom is taking place to finish off the job he began years earlier and finally make her his.

Even though this movie is only 90 minutes, it felt a lot longer. The last half an hour felt incredibly dragged out, and by the time it gets to this point I didn't really care. The deaths were predictable, what with most of the victims actually going up to the room that the killer was hiding in, and any sympathy for the victims had completely disappeared by the time the less than genius level murderer struck for the last time. I mean, killing some one in bed next to you when you're not even fast asleep yet? Come on!

You’ll like this if you liked : I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Southland Tales (2006) 7/10

Starring : Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake
Director : Richard Kelly
Running Time : 145 mins

Three years after a nuclear attack on Texas, America is in a state of disarray with a totalitarian government controlling the country with an iron grip and a zero tolerance approach to crime. Movie star Boxer Santaros (Johnson), once an aspiring politician but now suffering from memory loss, starts filming a movie based on a dream he had and, as he tries to get his memory back, he soon realises that his dream may be far more real than he first thought and may in fact be related to a tear in the fabric of time.

When you think of The Rock, the word pretension rarely springs to mind, but this movie really was the most pretentious movie I've seen in a long time. It isn't the fault of the actors, who steer this overly long vehicle of Richard Kelly's towards it's long overdue conclusion, and the story is reasonable enough though a little disjointed, it just feels like Kelly is trying to ram as much nonsense into his viewers faces as possible in the time he has. Don't get me wrong, it is enjoyable in parts, it's just the parts between those parts that spoil it.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Nines

The Ten (2007) 8/10

Starring : Paul Rudd, Famke Janssen, Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, Rob Corddry, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Ken Marino, Gretchen Mol, Oliver Platt, Winona Ryder, Liev Schreiber, Justin Theroux
Director : David Wain
Running Time : 97 mins

Jeff Reigert (Rudd) presents ten different stories, each one based on one of the Ten Commandments, ranging from a man (Brody) who is declared a God because he survived a fall from a plane without a parachute, to a woman (Ryder) who steals a ventriloquist's dummy that she's fallen in love with.

This is a very entertaining series of vignettes which are so silly you just have to laugh at them. There are a lot of cameos from some big comedy stars as well as some less likely stars, and the whole set up sort of reminded me of Amazon Women On The Moon. Paul Rudd works well in the lead, with writer Ken Marino making some funny appearances himself. Look out for the coveting sketch with Liev Schreiber, it's very entertaining.

You’ll like this if you liked : Idiocracy

Whale Rider (2002) 8/10

Starring : Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis
Director : Niki Caro
Running Time : 98 mins

When Paikea (Castle-Hughes) is born into a family descended from a long line of Maori male warrior leaders, her grandfather Koro (Paratene) is instantly disappointed, so Paikea is forced to lead her life constantly trying to prove to her grandfather that she is worthy of he heritage and will prove herself to be a great leader in spite of being a girl.

This is a simple tale, told in a very powerful way with a stunning performance from Castle-Hughes in the lead role. She manages to convey a sublime innocence whilst still feeling spiritual and wise. Paratene as the grandfather is suitably mean and seemingly unloving, with Cliff "Uncle Bully" Curtis making an appearance as the young girl's father

You’ll like this if you liked : Rabbit-Proof Fence

Racing Stripes (2005) 7/10

Starring : Frankie Muniz, Mandy Moore, Michael Clarke Duncan, Bruce Greenwood, Hayden Panettiere
Director : Frederik Du Chau
Running Time : 98 mins

Accidentally abandoned by his circus family, Stripes (Muniz) is a zebra who grew up thinking he would one day become a race horse. Living on a farm with his animal friends, he soon convinces his young owner, Channing Walsh (Panettiere), to try to enter him into an important race so he can prove to the other horses that he is just as good as them.

This is a nice enough movie, but it suffers from being extremely predictable. The voice cast breathe life into the animal actors and keep their performances largely light and fluffy, whilst the human actors try desperately to keep the movie from devolving into sentimental slush. Worth watching if you're young or young at heart.

You’ll like this if you liked : Babe

The Edge Of Love (2008) 6/10

Starring : Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys
Director : John Maybury
Running Time : 107 mins

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Rhys) finds his life made complicated when his ex-lover Vera Phillips (Knightley) turns back up in his life. Following their separation prior to World War II, Dylan has now married Caitlin (Miller), but she and Vera become solid friends, a situation that Dylan seems to relish, but when Vera marries a soldier named William Killick (Murphy), Dylan becomes noticeably riled by his intrusion upon their small group.

This was a long winded way of some director getting Knightley and Miller into a bath together. The plot is confusing if you try to read too much into it, but if you like either of the leading ladies or just soft core lesbianism, then you might actually enjoy this movie to some degree.

You’ll like this if you liked : Miss Potter

Jimmy Neutron : Boy Genius (2001) 8/10

Starring : Debi Derryberry, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short
Director : John A Davis
Running Time : 79 mins

Child genius Jimmy Neutron (Derryberry) has invented a communication satellite from odds and ends around his home, and the message he sends out alerts an alien race of human exist. When he wakes up the next morning, he finds that his parents have disappeared, having been abducted - along with all the other grownups in Retroville - by the Yookians, lead by the evil King Goobot (Stewart)!

This is a nice little animation for both children and grownups alike. There are plenty of explosions and silly jokes that will keep children entertained, whilst the underlying adult mentality of the animators and writers comes through at odd moments to give chucklesome humour to the parents forced to watch this by their kids.

You’ll like this if you liked : Chicken Little

Charlie Bartlett (2007) 8/10

Starring : Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis, Robert Downey Jr, Kat Dennings
Director : Jon Poll
Running Time : 97 mins

Charlie Bartlett (Yelchin) has been kicked out of every private school he's ever attended, so as a last resort his mother Marilyn (Davis) enrols him in a regular high school. Once there he is faced with bullies and the fact that he doesn't fit in, so he resorts to selling his ritilin medication to the pupils as a way of getting them to like him.

This is a very witty movie that uses the talents of Downey and Davis to help make it into something special. Yelchin puts in an amiable performance as the eponymous hero who uses his wits and cunning to make friends and influence people into bettering themselves. This is a great little movie that is sure to become something of a cult classic in a few years

You’ll like this if you liked : American Beauty

Step Up (2006) 6/10

Starring : Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Damaine Radcliff, De'Shawn Washington, Mario, Drew Sidora, Rachel Griffiths
Director : Anne Fletcher
Running Time : 104 mins

Perpetual trouble maker Tyler Gage (Tatum) gets sentenced to community service at the local dance school after causing some property damage. Once there, working with the school janitor, Tyler starts to help out dance student Nora Clark (Dewan) whose dance partner has been injured, and soon the two start to get to know each other as Tyler tries to get into the school as a student and Nora tries to help him perfect his dance moves.

This is a very predictable teen drama which doesn't even try to disguise the story's obvious plot turns. Tatum plays the hip-hop white guy, which seems to be an odd choice of actor, who hangs out in the hood with his homeys, whilst Dewan plays the spoilt student who learns to love him. Clearly this is a poorly executed rehash of Fletcher's Save The Last Dance with the races almost reversed but the characters remaining too similar to make this stand out from the crowd.

You’ll like this if you liked : Save The Last Dance

Classic Friday : Bowfinger (1999) 10/10

Starring : Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Christine Baranski, Terence Stamp
Director : Frank Oz
Running Time : 93 mins

Unsuccesful director Bobby Bowfinger (Martin) wants the opportunity to make a classic movie, but he can't convince Hollywood superstar Kit Ramsey (Murphy) to star in the movie. So, with the help of a motley crew of terrible actors, bad film makers and Kit's nerdy brother Jiff (Murphy), Bowfinger begins to follow Kit around, filming him secretly and getting the cast to perform with him without his knowledge.

This is probably the last great movie by Steve Martin or Eddie Murphy. They are truly in their element here, with Martin playing the manipulative schemer and Murphy his unwitting sidekick. There are some great comedy moments that, once seen, are completely unforgettable, and Frank Oz brings his unique comic timing to the fore, accomplishing a comedy masterpiece that everyone will enjoy.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Last Shot

Sugarhouse (2007) 5/10

Starring : Steven Mackintosh, Ashley Walters, Andy Serkis
Director : Gary Love
Running Time : 88 mins

Tom (Mackintosh) is a middle-class businessman who meets D (Walters) in a cafe in the hope of purchasing a gun, but when it turns out that the gun was stolen from Hoodwink (Serkis), a gangster who is worried the gun can be traced to his involvement in a murder, things start to get very confusing and violent.

Andy Serkis's acting here really spoils what could have been an interesting, though simple, gangster movie. Mackintosh and Walters are both playing stereotypes, but manage to not fall into the usual traps of the characters, even though Walters is pretty annoying, but Serkis's overly violent criminal character is almost laughable, and the ending is as predictable as the apparent twist in the tale

You’ll like this if you liked : Snatch

Transporter 3 (2008) 6/10

Starring : Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, Francois Berleand, Robert Knepper
Director : Olivier Megaton
Running Time : 99 mins

Frank Martin (Statham) is once again hired to deliver a special package, this time it comes in the form of Valentina (Rudakova), the kidnapped daughter of a powerful Ukranian whose contacts make life difficult for Frank as he travels from Marseilles to Odessa to deliver Valentina to his bosses.

Now, there are over the top action movies, and then there are Jason Statham action movies. This movie's action sequences are so beyond a joke it's distracting, and it soon becomes difficult to follow any plot through this mish mash of shootings, car crashes and explosions. Still, people who liked the previous instalments might get a kick out of this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Revolver

Big Fat Liar (2002) 7/10

Starring : Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Lee Majors, Donald Adeosun Faison
Director : Shawn Levy
Running Time : 84 mins

Jason Shepherd (Muniz) is a compulsive liar who finds himself to be the ultimate boy who cried wolf when Hollywood producer Marty Wolf (Giamatti) steals his short story entitled Big Fat Liar and uses it to make a Blockbuster movie. In order to prove that he really did write the story, he and his friend Kaylee (Bynes) travel to California to find the cheating producer and get him to come clean about his latest script.

This isn't a very clever movie, but it does have enough light chuckles to keep it entertaining. Giamatti is the stand out star as the Hollywood producer who gets the Home Alone treatment and is ritually humiliated by Muniz and Bynes in order to get him to admit his crimes to Muniz's parents.

You’ll like this if you liked : Home Alone

The Shaggy Dog (2006) 7/10

Starring : Tim Allen, Robert Downey Jr, Kristin Davis, Danny Glover, Spencer Breslin, Jane Curtin, Zena Grey
Director : Brian Robbins
Running Time : 94 mins

Workaholic deputy district attorney Dave Douglas (Allen) is bitten by a 300 year old sheep dog that has escaped from a genetics lab and soon finds himself slowly taking on the characteristics of the elderly pup. As he transforms back and forth into a dog himself, the DA finds himself the target of Dr Kozak (Downey), a scientist who wants to use the dog's DNA as a sort of fountain of youth formula, whilst also having to contend with his disappointed wife (Davis) who thinks he wants to leave her.

This Disney remake gives Tim Allen the chance once again to play a character that is going through a transformation, ala The Santa Clause. This, however, has more comedy value with Allen gradually gaining the abilities of a dog through the first half of the movie. Mainly aimed at young children, this is still a likeable movie for grownups if you ignore the transparent moralisations that leak into the storyline as the movie progresses.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Santa Clause

Charlie's Angels (2000) 6/10

Starring : Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover
Director : McG
Running Time : 94 mins

A trio of female private investigators are sent on a mission by their boss to help rescue a kidnapped software engineer, which in turn leads them to a criminal plot to use his valuable software and it's voice recognition systems to overtake every multimillion dollar conglomerate in the world.

This was a pretty weak concept which allowed music video director McG to make a 90 minute music video. The presence of the three leading ladies does little to improve the lacklustre story line, and the Matrix style visuals coupled with Mission Impossible style sequences do nothing to further the plot. Thankfully Bill Murray brings some comedy to this movie, but sadly he was no where to be seen by the time the sequel went into production.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mission : Impossible II

Boogeyman (2005) 6/10

Starring : Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Tory Mussett
Director : Stephen Kay
Running Time : 85 mins

Ever since he was a child and witnessed his father's disappearance, Tim (Watson) has been terrified of closets, so when he is forced to return to his childhood home he decides to try to confront his fears and face the Boogeyman, the monster he believes lives in his closet. There he discovers that his childhood fears were not as unfounded as people had told him, and that the Boogeyman could be very real indeed.

There's a big difference between good pacing and leaving the scares until too late. Here we are given an example of the latter, with the Boogeyman not even making an appearance until the final act. The story is a good idea, and a simple one, but the execution could have been better, though it's possible the makers didn't care so long as it achieved some straight to video sequels.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Messengers

Sinbad : Legend Of The Seven Seas (2003) 7/10

Starring : Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes, Dennis Haysbert
Director : Tim Johnson & Patrick Gilmore
Running Time : 81 mins

Intrepid seafarer Sinbad (Pitt) is promised eternal riches by the evil goddess of chaos, Eris (Pfeiffer), in return for the Book Of Peace which she plans to use to destroy mankind, but when Sinbad is accused of stealing the book and sentenced to death, his friend Prince Proteus covers for him, and Sinbad is forced to go on a mystical journey filled with magic and monsters in order to retrieve the book from Eris to save his friend's life.

Some of the computer animation, specifically the sea creature that appears in the first 10 minutes, looks really cheap, and most viewers would expect more from the studio that brought us Shrek, but overall this is another action packed cartoon that delivers on its promises of amazing action sequences and intriguing storylines on a par with old classics such as Clash Of The Titans and Jason And The Argonauts, although in parts it is a little too sentimental for a Sinbad movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hercules